Career & Technical Education

Title IX is the federal law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in schools that receive federal funding. Title IX requires that girls and boys be given equal opportunities in career and technical education programs like construction and engineering, fields that are traditionally male-dominated. These nontraditional careers tend to offer better pay and more benefits than traditionally female fields. We're working to remove barriers that women and girls face in education and job training for nontraditional careers.

Highlights

Since 1972, Title IX has opened the doors for women to pursue many fields, but in STEM women remain underrepresented in classes and fields that are pathways to high wage careers. This fact sheet discusses Title IX's impact on women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and recommends ways that schools and the government can move forward policies in pursuit of Title IX's goals.

This report, which examines the gender gap in career and technical education to prepare women for jobs in these fields, was prepared as a summary of an analysis by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity, the National Women’s Law Center, and Wider Opportunities for Women, under the auspices of the National Coalition of Women and Girls in Education and the National Coalition on Women, Jobs and Job Training.

Girls are dropping out of school at alarming rates, and studies show that schools can be successful in reducing their dropout rates where they offer CTE programs and make the link between academic work, college success, and careers. Schools that want to reduce their dropout rates must ensure that girls have equal access to career and technical education (“CTE”) classes that provide training for high-skill, high-wage jobs.

The wage gap between men and women exists both within and across numerous occupations throughout the American workforce. This chart compares the median hourly earnings of workers in a few sample male-dominated and female-dominated fields. How much more do you think the average plumber makes than the average childcare worker?

More Resources

This report, which examines the gender gap in career and technical education to prepare women for jobs in these fields, was prepared as a summary of an analysis by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, the National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity, the National Women’s Law Center, and Wider Opportunities for Women, under the auspices of the National Coalition of Women and Girls in Education and the National Coalition on Women, Jobs and Job Training.

Since 1972, Title IX has opened the doors for women to pursue many fields, but in STEM women remain underrepresented in classes and fields that are pathways to high wage careers. This fact sheet discusses Title IX's impact on women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and recommends ways that schools and the government can move forward policies in pursuit of Title IX's goals.

The wage gap between men and women exists both within and across numerous occupations throughout the American workforce. This chart compares the median hourly earnings of workers in a few sample male-dominated and female-dominated fields. How much more do you think the average plumber makes than the average childcare worker?

This easy-to-use tool provides information to students at all levels of education about their rights under Title IX to ensure that male and female students receive the education they deserve. It’s Your Education lays out the key protections under Title IX and provides tips for students on what to do if they suspect that they are experiencing discrimination in school.